Olivia Clergue

Olivia Clergue was born in Arles, in Provence, into a very artistic family. Her father, the photographer Lucien Clergue, and her godfather, Pablo Picasso, both gave her an eye for art and a taste for sculpture, which she later studied at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts, the Fine Arts Academy in Paris. She then completed a training course in fashion design and pattern making at the ESMOD Fashion School in Paris.

From her training in sculpture, the designer has developed an eye for volume and line, which she applies to her creations in pursuit of the perfectly balanced and pure design. The designer entered the world of fashion, drawing her inspiration from the models of Yves Saint Laurent, which her mother collects and wears since over 60 years, as well as from traditional women’s costumes in Arles. Their small handbags called “réticules” inspired her to design her leather buckets.She began working as an artists’ assistant and then went on to design her first collection of accessories, creating her own brand name in 2008. She lives in Paris.